IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/vrs/founma/v9y2017i1p61-74n5.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Is there a Nexus between Social Entrepreneurship and the Employability of Graduates?

Author

Listed:
  • Mandyoli Bulelwa

    (Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Faculty Business and Management Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa)

  • Iwu Chux Gervase

    (Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Faculty Business and Management Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa)

  • Nxopo Zinzi

    (Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Faculty Business and Management Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa)

Abstract

Social entrepreneurs have, in several ways, been regarded as engines of intense socioeconomic development. They are also famous for intervening with projects for society’s problems that are often either inadvertently ignored or inadequately managed by mainstream society. The issue of graduate employability has gained increased tension around the world especially in emerging markets such as South Africa. Currently, suggestions are that considering the avowed contribution of social entrepreneurs, it may be worthwhile to start examining how they can assist with graduate employability in South Africa. This paper, therefore, takes an exploratory yet focused scrutiny of the social entrepreneurship ecosystem to find out the likelihood of social entrepreneurs participating in programs that prepare students for the workplace, thereby reducing graduate unemployability. This is a conceptual paper that has benefitted from an extensive review of literature. Conclusions are drawn therefrom to suggest that opportunities exist for social entrepreneurs to provide practical, project-based learning opportunities for college and university students so that by the time they graduate, they have attained reasonable work-readiness levels that stand them in good stead for employment. While the authors propose an intensive empirical study of the subject matter, we are equally positive that this paper may be used to advance the current platforms of engagement of the role of social entrepreneurs or grow innovative methods that provide graduates with a better chance to be successful in the working environment. In short, this paper calls for sustained discussions on how social entrepreneurs can improve graduate employability.

Suggested Citation

  • Mandyoli Bulelwa & Iwu Chux Gervase & Nxopo Zinzi, 2017. "Is there a Nexus between Social Entrepreneurship and the Employability of Graduates?," Foundations of Management, Sciendo, vol. 9(1), pages 61-74, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:vrs:founma:v:9:y:2017:i:1:p:61-74:n:5
    DOI: 10.1515/fman-2017-0005
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1515/fman-2017-0005
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1515/fman-2017-0005?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ronald W. McQuaid & Colin Lindsay, 2005. "The Concept of Employability," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 42(2), pages 197-219, February.
    2. Chris R. Meyer & Jeffrey Gauthier, 2013. "Navigating Challenging Fitness Landscapes: Social Entrepreneurship and the Competing Dimensions of Sustainability," Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 4(1), pages 23-39, March.
    3. Morne Oosthuizen, 2006. "The Post-Apartheid Labour Market: 1995-2004," Working Papers 06103, University of Cape Town, Development Policy Research Unit.
    4. Johanna Mair & Ignasi Marti, 2006. "Social Entrepreneurship Research: A Source of Explanation, Prediction, and Delight," Post-Print hal-02311880, HAL.
    5. Filipe Santos, 2012. "A Positive Theory of Social Entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 111(3), pages 335-351, December.
    6. Kalie Pauw & Haroon Bhorat & Sumayya Goga & Liberty Ncube & Morne Oosthuizen & Carlene van der Westhuizen, 2006. "Graduate Unemployment in the Context of Skills Shortages, Education and Training: Findings from a Firm Survey," Working Papers 06115, University of Cape Town, Development Policy Research Unit.
    7. Todd W. Moss & Jeremy C. Short & G. Tyge Payne & G.T. Lumpkin, 2011. "Dual Identities in Social Ventures: An Exploratory Study," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 35(4), pages 805-830, July.
    8. Zahra, Shaker A. & Gedajlovic, Eric & Neubaum, Donald O. & Shulman, Joel M., 2009. "A typology of social entrepreneurs: Motives, search processes and ethical challenges," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 24(5), pages 519-532, September.
    9. S. Bacq & F. Janssen, 2011. "The multiple faces of social entrepreneurship: A review of definitional issues based on geographical and thematic criteria," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(5-6), pages 373-403, June.
    10. Michelle Cleary & Jan Horsfall & Paulpandi Muthulakshmi & Brenda Happell & Glenn E Hunt, 2013. "Career development: graduate nurse views," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 22(17-18), pages 2605-2613, September.
    11. Johanna Mair & Ernesto Noboa, 2006. "Social Entrepreneurship: How Intentions to Create a Social Venture are Formed," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Johanna Mair & Jeffrey Robinson & Kai Hockerts (ed.), Social Entrepreneurship, chapter 8, pages 121-135, Palgrave Macmillan.
    12. Mair, Johanna & Martí, Ignasi, 2006. "Social entrepreneurship research: A source of explanation, prediction, and delight," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 36-44, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Adélie Ranville & Marcos Barros, 2022. "Towards Normative Theories of Social Entrepreneurship. A Review of the Top Publications of the Field," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(2), pages 407-438, October.
    2. Sahasranamam, Sreevas & Nandakumar, M.K., 2020. "Individual capital and social entrepreneurship: Role of formal institutions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 104-117.
    3. Kaushik, Vineet & Tewari, Shobha & Sahasranamam, Sreevas & Hota, Pradeep Kumar, 2023. "Towards a precise understanding of social entrepreneurship: An integrated bibliometric–machine learning based review and research agenda," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    4. Gupta, Parul & Chauhan, Sumedha & Paul, Justin & Jaiswal, M.P., 2020. "Social entrepreneurship research: A review and future research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 209-229.
    5. Filipa Lancastre & Carmen Lages & Filipe Santos, 2024. "Social Entrepreneurship as a Family Resemblance Concept with Distinct Ethical Views," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 191(3), pages 611-632, May.
    6. Sauermann, Miklas Pascal, 2023. "Social Entrepreneurship as a Tool to Promoting Sustainable Development in Low-Income Communities: An Empirical Analysis," MPRA Paper 116929, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Xiangping Jia & Geoffrey Desa, 2020. "Social entrepreneurship and impact investment in rural–urban transformation: An orientation to systemic social innovation and symposium findings," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 37(4), pages 1217-1239, December.
    8. Pradeep Kumar Hota & Balaji Subramanian & Gopalakrishnan Narayanamurthy, 2020. "Mapping the Intellectual Structure of Social Entrepreneurship Research: A Citation/Co-citation Analysis," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 166(1), pages 89-114, September.
    9. Barbara Bradač Hojnik & Katja Crnogaj, 2020. "Social Impact, Innovations, and Market Activity of Social Enterprises: Comparison of European Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-15, March.
    10. David Bruce Audretsch & Maksim Belitski & Georg Maximilian Eichler & Erich Schwarz, 2024. "Entrepreneurial ecosystems, institutional quality, and the unexpected role of the sustainability orientation of entrepreneurs," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 62(2), pages 503-522, February.
    11. Iuliu Marin IVANESCU & Camelia M. GHEORGHE & Gina Gilet SZTRUTEN, 2013. "Social Entrepreneurship In Eu Region," Romanian Economic Business Review, Romanian-American University, vol. 8(4.1), pages 416-426, december.
    12. Régis Y. Chenavaz & Alexandra Couston & Stéphanie Heichelbech & Isabelle Pignatel & Stanko Dimitrov, 2023. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Entrepreneurial Ventures: A Conceptual Framework and Research Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-30, May.
    13. McSweeney, Jordan J. & McSweeney, Kevin T. & Webb, Justin W. & Sandoval, Rosalyn G., 2022. "Passion drove me here: Exploring how types of entrepreneurial passion influence different entrepreneurial intentions," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 18(C).
    14. Etayankara Muralidharan & Saurav Pathak, 2019. "Consequences of Cultural Leadership Styles for Social Entrepreneurship: A Theoretical Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-19, February.
    15. Philipp Kruse, 2020. "Can there only be one? – an empirical comparison of four models on social entrepreneurial intention formation," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 641-665, June.
    16. Singaram, Raja & Radu-Lefebvre, Miruna & Gartner, William B., 2023. "Gordian knot uncut: Understanding the problem of founder exit in social ventures," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 19(C).
    17. Pradeep Kumar Hota, 2023. "Tracing the Intellectual Evolution of Social Entrepreneurship Research: Past Advances, Current Trends, and Future Directions," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(3), pages 637-659, January.
    18. Sayem Hossain & M. Abu Saleh & Judy Drennan, 0. "A critical appraisal of the social entrepreneurship paradigm in an international setting: a proposed conceptual framework," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-22.
    19. Lortie, Jason & Cox, Kevin C. & Roundy, Philip T., 2022. "Social impact models, legitimacy perceptions, and consumer responses to social ventures," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 312-321.
    20. Bonfanti, Angelo & De Crescenzo, Veronica & Simeoni, Francesca & Loza Adaui, Cristian R., 2024. "Convergences and divergences in sustainable entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship research: A systematic review and research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:vrs:founma:v:9:y:2017:i:1:p:61-74:n:5. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.sciendo.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.